title: Retinal arterial macroaneurysms: risk factors and natural history.
abstract: A case control study was conducted to identify the systemic and ocular risk factors for retinal arterial macroaneurysms. Forty-three patients with 52 photographically confirmed macroaneurysms were located. Forty-three age-matched, race-matched concurrent control patients were also identified. The patients with macroaneurysms had decreased visual acuity (p less than 0.0001) and a higher prevalence of hypertension (p = 0.037), female sex (p = 0.099), and retinal vein occlusions (p = 0.055) than controls. In patients with both a macroaneurysm and venous occlusion there was a 12.0 times higher prevalence of macroaneurysms in the area of retina drained by the occluded vein (p less than 0.05). Common findings associated with macroaneurysms included retinal haemorrhage (81% of patients), retinal exudate (70%), vitreous haemorrhage (30%), macular involvement (30%), and distal arteriolar narrowing (26%). Arteriolar occlusion occurred spontaneously (8%) or after laser photocoagulation (16%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Illinois, Chicago 60612.
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Panton
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Farber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000783:Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011897:Random Allocation; D012161:Retinal Artery; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000150:complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014792:Visual Acuity